BUILDING A BIRD GARDEN IN TORONTOtorontobirdcelebration.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/... · Their...
Transcript of BUILDING A BIRD GARDEN IN TORONTOtorontobirdcelebration.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/... · Their...
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BUILDING A BIRD GARDEN IN
TORONTO
BIRDS IN THE CITY
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BIRDS IN THE CITY
Birds are a key part of our ecosystem, helping to pollinate plants, disperse seeds, naturally control pests,
and recycle nutrients back into the earth. Their lively vocals and captivating personalities also animate
outdoor spaces and spark the imagination. Sadly, the loss of wild habitat is greatly reducing many bird
populations. By choosing to make urban areas more bird-friendly, all of us have the opportunity to help
keep the skies full of song. This guide will help you meet the needs of a variety of local and migratory
bird species at your home, school, or workplace.
TORONTO BY THE NUMBERS
Source map by Wiki user Mortadelo2005.
Birds on front cover, from top, clockwise: Ruby-throated Hummingbird, American Robin, Mourning Dove, Tree Swallow, Black-capped Chickadee. Cover photos by Mark Peck, except American Robin photo by Steve Burt.
GET INVOLVED: GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT
Every winter, birdwatchers across North American spend four days identify and count birds in their
neighbourhoods to create a continent-wide snapshot of the state of their local birds. It’s a fun
activity for all ages that helps the birds! Sign up at www.birdcount.org
BIRDS IN THE CITY
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NEIGHBOURHOOD BIRDS
Here are some of our feathered neighbours you may attract to a bird-friendly garden space:
Northern Cardinal ♂ Northern Cardinal ♀ Black-capped
Chickadee Mourning Dove
House Finch ♂ House Finch ♀ American Goldfinch
(♂ left; ♀ right)Blue Jay
Dark-eyed Junco Red-breasted Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch American Robin
White-throated Sparrow
House Sparrow
(♀ right; ♂ left)Downy Woodpecker ♂
(females lack red) Hairy Woodpecker ♂
(females lack red) Photos by Mark Peck.
BUILDING A BIRD GARDEN
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BUILDING A BIRD GARDEN – FOOD AND WATER
Offering a variety of plants will help your garden keep up with changes in birds’ seasonal diet, from bugs
to seeds to berries and nuts. Avoid pesticides to ensure your garden is safe for birds and pollinators.
Blooms from wildflowers, flower beds, and flowering trees and shrubs all attract the insects that many
birds rely on as a high-quality food source in the summer months. Allowing some of these flowers to go
to seed (e.g. coneflowers, sunflowers, and Black-eyed Susans) will continue to feed finches and sparrows
in the fall. Larger birds such robins and waxwings will appreciate juniper and sumac seeds, while also
making use of the long-lasting berries these plants provide in winter. Other berry-producing species
such as dogwood, elderberry, hackberry, holly, and blueberry add to fall and winter food supplies for
birds. Of course, birds always need fresh water, so consider adding a bird bath or water bowl and
change the water regularly. The sound of a running water feature will attract many birds, just
remember to continue to offer water through the season. Also consider leaving a patch of bare ground
for birds to take dust paths and to provide nesting habitat for native solitary bees.
BIRD FEEDERS
Set up a bird feeding station from fall to spring to help birds through the lean winter months and draw
birds to your garden where you can appreciate and observe them. There are several styles of feeders
that appeal to different types of birds; for example, tube feeders with small perches and holes exclude
larger birds like jays, while tray feeders attract ground-foraging birds like doves. Each species has its
preferences for food, but sunflower seed feeders, nyjer seed feeders and suet are popular with a variety
of birds. Refill regularly and follow the instructions on how to keep your feeder clean. In the summer,
after you’ve cleaned and put away your suet and tube feeders, consider putting out sugar water feeders
to attract nectar-eating hummingbirds, or provide grape jelly or fruit slices on a tray to attract orioles
and tanagers. Hang your feeders well back from windows or pressed against windows to reduce the risk
of birds colliding with the glass and injuring themselves.
GET INVOLVED: PROJECT FEEDERWATCH
Have a bird feeder? Sign up for Project FeederWatch and you’ll receive materials to help you
identify and count the birds visiting your feeder. Submit your results to contribute to a continent-
wide research project. www.FeederWatch.org
BUILDING A BIRD GARDEN
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Tube (nyjer seed) Hopper Suet
Finches, Sparrows, small species Finches, Cardinals, Chickadees,
many species Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, Jays,
many species
Left to right, top to bottom:
American Goldfinch (♀ right; ♂ left), Rose-
breasted Grosbeak ♂ (photo by H. Michael Miley), Northern Flicker (photo by Flickr user
frted), Evening Grosbeak ♂, Ruby-throated
Hummingbird ♀. All other photos byMark Peck.Tray Sugar water
Doves, Blackbirds, Sparrows, many species
Hummingbirds, Orioles, Woodpeckers
BUILDING A BIRD GARDEN – HABITAT
Whether they’re using your garden as a migration rest-stop or looking for a territory to call their own,
birds of all kinds need places where they’re protected from the elements and from predators.
By choosing plants such as dogwood, honeysuckle, and greenbrier, you can provide dense thickets
where songbirds can safely perch and nest. Taller trees provide places to sing, while stands of tall grass
and carpets of fern create cover for birds that spend most of their time on the ground. Have a dead or
dying tree? Consult with an arborist about leaving it up as a snag, which is highly prized habitat for
perching birds and cavity-nesters. Use evergreens like juniper and cedar to offer winter shelter, or
create instant habitat by leaving out cut branches or an old Christmas tree.
Help birds stay safe in your new bird haven by keeping cats indoors. Free-roaming cats are responsible
for the majority of the human-related bird deaths in Canada, killing between 100 and 350 million birds
every year1. In southern Canada, cats kill 2-7% of birds every year1. Keep both cats and birds safe by
letting your cats enjoy the outdoors with a leash or in an enclosed porch. Learn more at
www.catsandbirds.ca.
In addition to being careful with your feeder placements, you can help keep birds safe by putting bird-
safe film on your windows to prevent window-strikers. Approximately 25 million birds in Canada die a
year as a result of collision with windows, and 90% of these are likely due to houses2. Learn more about
how you can bird-proof your windows at www.flap.org.
BUILDING A BIRD GARDEN
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NESTING BOXES
You can supplement natural nesting habitat with boxes or cups. Many small birds such as Black-capped
Chickadees, Tree Swallows, Eastern Bluebirds, and House Wrens use nest boxes, while other birds such
as Barn Swallows and even larger birds like American Robins use nest cups. Research the right kind of
box and placement for the types of birds you see in your yard. Birds are very particular about the size
and shape of boxes and entrance holes for good reason – they need to be sure that predators won’t be
able to get in and fledglings will be able to get out! Choose nest boxes that open, allowing for annual
cleaning, and avoid boxes with a perch, as these enable predators to enter.
Eastern Bluebird ♂; photo: Roger H. Goun
Great Crested Flycatcher; photo: Mark Peck
Barn Swallow; photo: americanartifacts.com
Nest Box – Smaller Holes Nest Box – Larger Hole Nest Cup Wrens, Black-capped
Chickadees, Nuthatches, Tree Swallows, Eastern Bluebirds
Northern Flickers (fill with wood shavings), Eastern Screech-
Owls, Great Crested Flycatchers
Barn Swallows, Cliff Swallow, Robins, Eastern Phoebes, House
Finches
1Blancher, P. 2013. Estimated number of birds killed by house cats (Felis catus) in Canada. Avian Conservation and Ecology
8(2):3. http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ACE-00557-080203
Machtans, C. S., C. H. R. Wedeles, and E. M. Bayne. 2013. A first estimate for Canada of the number of birds killed by colliding
with building windows. Avian Conservation and Ecology 8(2):6. http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ACE-00568-080206
GET INVOLVED: PROJECT NESTWATCH
Is there a bird nesting in your yard, or somewhere else you can visit every 3-5 days? Join citizen
scientists across Canada in learning how to properly monitor a nest and submit your observations at
www.birdscanada.org
PLANTS FOR BIRDS
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PLANTS FOR BIRDS
Birds love diversity, so adding a variety of plant species to your garden will attract them. Create “levels”
in your garden by using plants of different heights to provide shelter for birds. Similarly, clump plants
together to create hiding places, and to make foraging easier on birds and pollinators. Finally, think of
the seasons when you choose your plants – with some planning, you can provide some benefit for birds
across all four seasons. Here are some readily available native plants to consider in your bird garden:
PLANTS FOR BIRDS – GRASSES
Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum) Produces seeds for fall migrants and shelters ground-nesters.
Height Soil Sun Season
< 2 m Medium to wet soil Full sun/ part shade
Summer: cover Fall: seeds
Little Blue Stem Grass (Schizachyrium scoparium) Produces seeds for sparrows and shelters for ground-nesters.
Height Soil Sun Season
120cm Well-drained, dry to medium soil
Full sun Summer: cover Fall: seeds
PLANTS FOR BIRDS – PERENNIAL WILDFLOWERS
Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) Attracts insects for insectivorous birds.
Height Soil Sun Season
< 1 m Well-drained, sandy, dry to medium soil
Full sun Summer: flowering Fall: flowering
Wild Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor) Attracts hummingbirds. Good for rain gardens and pond borders.
Height Soil Sun Season
< 1 m Medium to wet soil Full sun/ part shade
Summer: flowering
PLANTS FOR BIRDS
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Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) Attracts hummingbirds. Good for rain gardens.
Height Soil Sun Season
120 cm
Medium to wet soil; consistently moist soil.
Full sun/ part shade
Summer: flowering Fall: flowering
Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) Attracts hummingbirds.
Height Soil Sun Season
< 1 m Medium to wet soil; consistently moist soil
Full sun/ part shade
Summer: flowering
Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) Produces seeds for ground-foraging seed-eaters, including doves.
Height Soil Sun Season
< 1 m Well-drained, medium soil
Full sun/ part shade
Spring: flowering Summer: seeds Fall: seeds
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida) Produces seeds for seed-eaters, including finches and winter birds.
Height Soil Sun Season
< 1 m Well-drained, dry to medium soil
Full sun Summer: flowering Fall: seeds Winter: seeds
Pale Coneflower (Echinacea pallida) Produces seeds for seed-eaters, including finches and sparrows.
Height Soil Sun Season
< 1 m Well-drained, dry to medium soil
Full sun/ part shade
Summer: flowering Fall: seeds Winter: seeds
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) Attracts insects for hummingbirds; produces seeds for seed-eaters.
Height Soil Sun Season
< 1 m Well-drained, dry to medium soil
Full sun/ part shade
Summer: flowering Fall: flowering Winter: seeds
PLANTS FOR BIRDS
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Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus) Produces seeds for seed-eaters, including doves, finches, titmice.
Height Soil Sun Season
180 cm
Well-drained, sandy, dry to medium soil
Partial shade
Summer: flowering Winter: seeds
Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) Attracts hummingbirds.
Height Soil Sun Season
< 1 m Well-drained, medium soil
Full sun/ part shade
Summer: flowering Winter: seeds
PLANTS FOR BIRDS – SHRUBS, TREES, AND VINES
Common Juniper (Juniperus communis) Produces seeds for seed-eaters, including waxwings and robins.
Height Soil Sun Season
< 1 – 4.5 m
Well-drained, medium soil
Full sun Fall: seeds Winter: seeds
Silky Dogwood (Cornus amomum) Produces fruits for fall migrants and shelters nesting birds.
Height Soil Sun Season
2 – 3.5 m
Well-drained, medium to wet soil
Full sun/ part shade
Spring: cover Summer: cover Fall: fruits
Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) Produces fruits enjoyed by robins, catbirds, tanagers and more.
Height Soil Sun Season
2 – 3.5 m
Acidic, medium to wet soil
Full sun/ part shade
Spring: flowering Summer: fruits Fall: fruits
PLANTS FOR BIRDS
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American Hazelnut (Corylus americana) Produces fruits for woodpeckers, jays, turkeys; grouse eat catkins.
Height Soil Sun Season
3 – 5 m
Well-drained, medium soil
Full sun/ part shade
Fall: fruits Winter: closed catkins
Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata) Produces late fruit that attracts robins, waxwings, and more. Requires male plants.
Height Soil Sun Season
1 – 3.5 m
Acidic, medium to wet soil; tolerates boggy soils
Full sun/ part shade
Fall: fruits Winter: fruits
Northern Bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica) Produces berries for Yellow-rumped Warblers; seeds and cover. Requires male plants.
Height Soil Sun Season
1.5 – 3 m
Well-drained, dry to medium soil
Full sun/ part shade
Summer: cover Fall: fruits Winter: seeds
Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago) Produces fruit eaten by thrashers and waxwings in the winter.
Height Soil Sun Season
4 – 5 m
Well-drained, medium soil
Full sun/ part shade
Fall: fruits Winter: fruits
Common Witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) Produces seeds that become scattered around the plant.
Height Soil Sun Season
4.5 – 6 m
Well-drained, medium soil
Full sun/ part shade Fall: seeds
Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa) Produces fruits and shelters nesting birds, such as yellow warblers.
Height Soil Sun Season
3 – 4.5 m
Well-drained, medium soil
Full sun/ part shade
Spring: cover Summer: cover Fall: fruits
PLANTS FOR BIRDS
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Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) Produces fruit that attracts migratory songbirds such as thrushes.
Height Soil Sun Season
2 – 3.5 m
Well-drained, medium soil
Full sun/ part shade
Fall: fruits
American Plum (Prunus americana) Attracts insect- and nectar-eating birds and grouse; provides cover.
Height Soil Sun Season
4.5 – 7.5 m
Well-drained, dry to medium soil
Full sun/ part shade
Spring: flowers, cover Summer: fruits, cover
Black Gum; Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica) Attracts insectivorous birds; produces fruits for migrants.
Height Soil Sun Season
9 – 15 m
Medium to wet soil Full sun/ part shade
Spring: flowering Fall: fruits
Roughleaf Dogwood (Cornus drummondii) Produces fruit for fall migrants, and attracts ducks if near water.
Height Soil Sun Season
2 – 4.5 m
Medium to wet soil Full sun/ part shade
Fall: fruits
Maple Leaf Viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium) Produces fruit enjoyed by sparrows and cardinals.
Height Soil Sun Season
1 – 2 m
Well-drained, medium soil
Full sun/ part shade
Fall: fruits
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) Produces fruit for fruit-eating songbirds.
Height Soil Sun Season
Vine Dry to wet soil Full sun/ part shade
Fall: fruits
PLANTS FOR BIRDS
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YEAR-ROUND FOOD FOR BIRDS
Flowers for birds Seeds for birds Fruits for birds
Grasses Common Name
Spring Summer Fall Winter Comments
Early Late Early Late Early Late
Switch Grass Flowers July to September
Little Blue Stem Grass Flowers August to October
Wildflowers Common Name
Spring Summer Fall Winter Comments
Early Late Early Late Early Late
Butterfly Milkweed Flowers June to September
Wild Blue Flag Iris Flowers May to August
Cardinal Flower Flowers July to September
Dwarf Bee Balm Flowers July to August
Wild Geranium Flowers April to June
Black-eyed Susan Flowers June to September
Pale Coneflower Flowers June to July
Purple Coneflower Flowers June to August
Woodland Sunflower Flowers July to September
Wild Columbine Flowers April to July
Shrubs and Trees Common Name
Spring Summer Fall Winter Comments
Early Late Early Late Early Late
Common Juniper
Highbush Blueberry Flowers May to June
Silky Dogwood Flowers May to June
Gray Dogwood Flowers May to July
American Hazelnut Catkins Flowers March to April
PLANTS FOR BIRDS
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Plant photo credits (in order of appearance): Matt Lavin; Flic\kr user TallGrass_IA; Derek Ramsey; Danielle Langlois; Flickr user Melytu; Warren lynn, Vicki DeLoach; F.D. Richards; Flickr user dbarronoss; Wikimedia uder RI; Dan Mullen; Sage Ross; Joan Simon; Michael Wolf; Wikimedia user Aconagua; Wikimedia user Mitternacht90; Superior National Forest; Superior National Forest; Flickr user Maggi_94; Vojtech Zavadil; Flickr user per_verdonk
Birds on back cover: Northern Cardinal ♂ (top), House Wren (bottom). Photos by Mark Peck.
Flowers for birds Seeds for birds Fruits for birds
Shrubs, Trees, Vines Common Name
Spring Summer Fall Winter Comments
Early Late Early Late Early Late
Winterberry Holly Both ♂ & ♀ plants needed for fruit
Northern Bayberry Both ♂ & ♀ plants needed for fruit
fruitfruit Nannyberry Flowers May to June
Common Witch-hazel Flowers Sept. to Nov.
Spicebush Flowers March to April
American Plum Flowers April to June
Black Gum; Tupelo Flowers April to May
Roughleaf Dogwood Flowers April to June
Maple Leaf Viburnum Flowers May to July
Virginia Creeper
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The Weston Family Parks Challenge is an initiative of The W. Garfield Weston Foundation.
Projects are being realized in collaboration with the Ontario Trillium Foundation.